Healthy green smoothies for kids

For the past month, Mr 2 has decided that he no longer eats vegetables. When he then decided that fruit was also off the menu, I decided enough was enough and that I needed to work out a plan to get more fruits and vegetables down his gob.

I’ve been having a green smoothie for breakfast lately so I decided green smoothies for kids could be the answer to my problems. Initially it was a bit of a struggle but I’ve now worked out the smoothie recipes that the kids absolutely LOVE!

They now down a healthy green smoothie, kid style, every morning. On average they are getting 1-2 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit before we even leave the house. Winning!

Will my kids drink green smoothies?

Yes absolutely! The trick is the types of fruits and vegetables you use and the texture. It took me a bit of playing around but I’ve now created a heap of green smoothie recipes for kids that they will drink happily every day.

Are green smoothies good for kids?

Of course! They are packed with fruits and vegetables and full of vitamins and minerals. They are perfect for kids. Especially fussy ones who don’t eat a lot of fruit or vegetables ;). I would never put any of the protein powders or artificial smoothie powders in green smoothies for kids though, just stick to fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables and add in water, coconut water or the milk of your choice.

How can I get my kids to drink green smoothies?

I started off with a high ratio of fruit to vegetables and adjusted from there. Fruits such as banana and mango also add a really sweet taste so are the perfect starter for kids smoothies. The texture is also really important. My kids don’t like lumps or any fibrous bits in their smoothies. I make sure they are completely liquified before giving them to the kids.

Can I put green smoothies for kids in lunchboxes?

Yep, I do. I like to use the Sinchies food pouches to pack green smoothies into the kids morning tea or lunch boxes. I actually make the smoothies in advance and then freeze them in the Sinchies bags. I then pop them in the kids bags and they defrost by morning tea. The kids know to give them a bit of a shake before drinking them. The Sinchies pouches are reusable so this makes them really cost effective. You can read more about Sinchies pouches in my Sinchies food pouches review here.

Can I freeze fruit and vegetables for smoothies?

Absolutely! That’s exactly how I do it. I freeze all the fruit and veggies in portioned snap lock bags and then throw it all in with the liquid in the morning. If you don’t have a powerful blender you may be best to freeze leafy greens separately and blend them with liquid first.

Heathy smoothies for kids

Green smoothie recipes for kids

Peach, Mango Tango Green Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen mango pieces
• 1 peach, sliced and seed removed
• 4-5 frozen raspberries
• 1.5-2 cups cold water

Instructions

1. Place baby spinach and water in a powerful blender and blend on high until totally liquified.
2. Add mango, peach and raspberries and continue blending until completely smooth. If you are using a Thermomix or Vitamix this should take under 1 minute but it might be a bit longer for other blenders.
3. Serve in a jar (I bought mine for $1 from Kmart) or cup.

Bananarama Green Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced avocado (I use frozen)
• 1 cup frozen banana pieces (can use fresh if you don’t have a frozen one)
• 1/2 cup frozen mango pieces
• 1.5-2 cups cold water

Instructions

1. Place baby spinach and water in a powerful blender and blend on high until totally liquified.
2. Add avocado, banana and mango and continue blending until completely smooth. If you are using a Thermomix or Vitamix this should take under 1 minute but it might be a bit longer for other blenders.
3. Serve in a jar or cup.

Strawberry Sensation Green Smoothy recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen mango pieces
• 1 cup frozen strawberries (can use fresh if you don’t have frozen)
• 1 dried date
• 2 cups cold water

Instructions

1. Place baby spinach and water in a powerful blender and blend on high until totally liquified.
2. Add mango, strawberries and date and continue blending until completely smooth. If you are using a Thermomix or Vitamix this should take under 1 minute but it might be a bit longer for other blenders.
3. Serve in a jar or cup.

Choc Berry Delight Green Smoothy Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tbs cacoa powder
• 4-5 frozen raspberries
• 1.5-2 cups almond milk (or regular milk, my kids just drink almond mild normally so that’s what I use)

Instructions

1. Place baby spinach and water in a powerful blender and blend on high until totally liquified.
2. Add strawberries, cocoa and raspberries and continue blending until completely smooth. If you are using a Thermomix or Vitamix this should take under 1 minute but it might be a bit longer for other blenders.
3. Serve in a jar or cup.

Banana Berry Green Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 4-5 frozen raspberries
• 1.5-2 cups cold water or milk

Instructions

1. Place baby spinach and water in a powerful blender and blend on high until totally liquified.
2. Add banana, strawberries and raspberries and continue blending until completely smooth. If you are using a Thermomix or Vitamix this should take under 1 minute but it might be a bit longer for other blenders.
3. Serve in a jar or cup.

So there you go! Healthy, tasty green smoothie recipes the kids will LOVE. The main tricks I have found are to include banana or mango for texture and to add a date if it isn’t sweet enough for their taste buds. Over time I’ve been able to up the veggie ratio but I still tend to stick to baby spinach and avocado as they are mild flavours. I tried kale but it was rejected rather firmly! I have also added peas on occasion as they are actually really sweet.

I’d love to hear any smoothie recipes for kids that you’ve tried. Share them in the comments below 🙂